Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Saturday said it is essential to equip the youth with new age skills to meet the requirements of the market. India is a country of young people and its demographic dividend is our asset, while the challenge is to map the aspirations of our youth with the opportunities, the Union Skill Development Minister said while chairing a workshop 'Closing the Skills Gap and Future of Jobs' here.

"Our education system has given knowledge and empowerment, it must also equip our youth with employability. It is important that we connect young generation with the new age skills. Demand mapping is key to keep up with the requirements of the market," Pradhan said. Co-organised by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and World Economic Forum (WEF), the objective of this day-long workshop was to identify pathways for human-centered and sustainable growth and to reflect upon coherent and coordinated strategies to proactively prepare for and shape the future of work.